Eskil's Luck and the Golden Tree
by Skye-Chan 12
Summary: This is actually Norse mythology sorry for putting it here, but it's about where the golden apples came from, why Idun cares for them. All of which are connected to Eskil, first son of Ask and Embla. OneShot fic


**Eskil's Luck & The Golden Tree**

By _Kimberlee Chamberlain  
-Based on Norse mythology  
-Written for a Fairy tales and Myths class_

**_June-2005 _**

"It is said that many years ago when the world was newly created, Ask and Embla, the first humans and ancestors of every human ever born there after, had been created by the gods out of the ash and elm tree. However, what is scarcely known is that the bark chips and twigs left over, took root and grew into a magnificent tree, a golden tree, and from its branches hung magnificent golden apples.

The Gods marveled at the tree, and when they discovered that the apples brought youth to those that ate its golden fruits, they couldn't have been happier, and after the first few years, the tree grew so many ripe fruit that there was more then enough of the fruit to share and when Ask and Embla asked for only a few of the apples for themselves, there was no reason to deny them.

Time went on, and Embla gave birth to her first child, a son of whom she named Eskil in honor of the gods. Odin looked down upon the child from his seat, Hliðskjálf, and was pleased with Embla and Ask and threw a feast for them in a great hall.

Embla and her husband sat at Odin's left hand side, the newborn in Embla's arms staring wide eyed at the wonders around him. All the gods and goddesses in the hall walked up to the child and gave the couple their blessings and bestowed gifts upon the child, the greatest of which was given by Odin himself.

Eskil: Gods vessel

He took off his own cloak and swaddled the child in it and took the hat from his very head and placed it upon the child's head and spoke words that he had learned after drinking from Mímir's fountain then smiled at the happy parents and said 'This child shall bring luck and happiness to those in his favor' he blessed. And upon hearing this, the happy parents were overjoyed and after thanking the gods and goddesses over and over again they returned to their home in Midgard and raised their child happily.

Many years passed and Ask and Embla began to raise many children, and their god-favored son grew strong and handsome and he alone was given the task of caring for the golden tree. He would sit upon the golden trees branches and care for it and gather it's apples for the gods.

It was from those branches he would look at the mountains and hills in the distance and grassy green plains and he soon began to long to leave the house where he was born and grew up, the house that was now loud and noisy with children running every which way. He wanted to set out on his own and build a home for himself and a life separate from his loud younger siblings.

However Ask and Embla were reluctant to let their son leave, but at last they gave in to his pleading and said that once he found and trained someone else to care for the golden tree and it's apples, then he could leave.

Eskil was so excited that he immediately lined up all of his siblings in a line and began to eliminate the siblings that he didn't think would make likely successors.

When he had narrowed down the likely candidates he gave them all a small newly planted tree and told them to care for the tree to their best ability and he would examine the tree in nine months time.

When the nine months were ended, Eskil gathered his siblings once again and began judging the trees. The first was even smaller then when he had first given the tree out, and while it was alive, showed no sign of care other then watering. The next tree had been pruned within an inch of its life. Shuttering Eskil continued down the line, finding faults great and small in all of his sibling's trees. That is until he reached the last one, it belonged to his sister, Idun, quiet and gentle she had spent the entire nine months with the tree at her side caring for it.

Eskil studied it and found that the tree was expertly pruned and its leaves were green and it had even begun to flourish beautiful flowers. Eskil beamed happy that at least one of his siblings wasn't incompetent and praised her work in front of all of their siblings so much to the point that her cheeks shone red and she attempted to hide behind her tree's branches.

Pleased with himself and thinking that he was one step closer to leaving the crowded valley he began right away training Idun to care for the tree.

But all the while Eskil was doing this, up in Asgard they were talking of a growing problem that had much to do with him, the golden tree and its fruit.

As Ask and Embla were producing their own children over the years, the gods' number had also increased. So much to the point that they were concerned about the promise that they had carelessly made to Ask and Embla giving them use of the golden fruit.

For as the gods grew older they began to rely on the fruit even more to ensure their younger bodies and as Ask, Embla, and their own children grew older themselves, they too began to age and eat more and more of the apples and at a quicker pace, due to the fact that humans aged a lot quicker then the gods.

Odin called Loki to his side and told him of the problem and told him to go down and spy on the growing family to see if his devious mind could come up with an answer that he had not yet thought of.

Loki grumbled, but did what the god asked and slid down Bifrost and took on the shape of a human that could be mistaken for one of the many children of Ask and Embla.

As he mingled amongst the children he heard them gossip of two individuals, Eskil and Idun. When he inquired further to the younger children, they rambled on, pleased to know something that an apparent elder sibling didn't know, and told him of Eskil training an heir to care for the tree. Loki grinned to himself as he came up with a plan.

Concealing himself as a bird, the great shape-shifter watched as Eskil talked of the tree to Idun and watched as every time the girl looked away Eskil's gaze would fall upon her and his eyes would soften and his gaze would become one of longing, but whenever she would look back up he would smile and continue on with the lesson. Loki knew the look in the young mans eyes, it was one of love, and if he could in his bird form, the mischief-maker would have danced around for joy.

Racing back up Bifrost, Loki rushed into Odin's hall and told him of his findings and said that he had a plan to give up the human's claim on the golden tree's fruit. Odin was unsure at first but upon the other gods urging, he reluctantly said that Loki could continue with his plan.

Racing back down Bifrost, Loki once again took up the disguise as a son of Embla and waited for Eskil and Idon's lesson to finish and for Eskil to be left alone. Once he was, Loki approached him from the shadows and spoke out. 'Goodmorrow, brother'

Looking up Eskil smiled and answered, 'Goodmorrow, brother. What brings you to the tree? The apples will be on the table tonight for dinner, you need not worry!'

'Ah, but I do worry, but not for myself, dear brother, but for a sister of ours whom seems to have caught the eye of one of my brothers.' Loki said slowly, placing emotion in his voice to make his act convincing.

Eskil was startled and looked questionably at his 'brother' and asked, 'and which of our siblings would that be?' Loki grinned and answered 'you know them very well, dear brother, for they are none other then Idun…' he paused 'and yourself'

Eskil looked started and pleaded with Loki not to tell Idun. Smug, Loki nodded and said that he would not tell Idun but Eskil must owe him a promise, a favor of sorts, that he could call in at any time. Eskil agreed readily and swore he would. Loki nodded and returned to the shadows, the first part of his plot executed.

The next day after Idun's lesson, Loki returned and approached Eskil, 'I know of what I wish, brother!' Loki called out cheerfully. Eskil's shoulders slumped and turned to the mischief-maker, who continued with his request, 'Apples… I want the Golden apples.'

At this, Eskil became confused, he picked the apples from the tree every day, and all of his brothers and sisters got a share of the apples to keep them young and strong. 'How many apples do you want?' At this Loki grinned, 'only one this week brother, but next week I will have you give me double and the week after that double that amount. In a years time, the deal will end and I will leave you too your gazes in peace.'

Eskil, was not a dumb man, but he was in such a fluster at his secret crush might get out, that he nodded in agreement to the request and climbed into the branches of the golden tree and plucked on of its ripest fruits and gave it to Loki, in a hurry to get the cursed brother away from him.

Loki took the apple and stored it in a pocket and began to leave, calling over his shoulder, 'remember, you try to break the deal, then Idun finds out about our little secret.' And with that the shape-shifter disappeared.

The next week Loki returned and was given two of the apples, and the week after, four apples. By the sixth week the tree was practically bare and was beginning to show the effects of the over picking. Poor Eskil had even begun to give up his own share of the apples in an attempt to help the steady decline in the health of the tree.

Then the week came when there were no apples left on the tree for Eskil to give. And when Loki came he was outraged, and demanded proper payment. Eskil showed him the bare tree and spoke of his newly awakened fear of the gods' reaction to the current state of the bare tree. At Loki pretended to stop and think of what to do and then he spoke slowly as if he was making a tough decision. 'How about this, brother, I still have the apples from our 'trades', how about I give you the apples in exchange for the tree. It is of no use to you bare and will only bring you death now by the wrath of the gods.'

Tired and warn from worry over the past few months, he agreed and the Loki brought before him a great mountain of apples, which he immediately hid in a cave and when he returned Loki was gone and so was the golden tree.

Eskil sat in despair on the upturned earth where the tree had once resided and realized that now that the tree was gone, Idon would no longer be his apprentice, and she would leave him and he would never see her again. Stressed and exhausted, Eskil fell down weak and aged.

The next morning Idun approached the beach where the golden tree once grew and saw her brother, withered and old, lying as if dead. Running to his side and cried in anguish. As her tears fell upon his face, Eskil woke up and looked upon Idun's beautiful youthful face filled with sadness and broke, telling her of his affection towards her and how Loki (though he did not know it was him) had found out and blackmailed him. Idun leaned down and kissed his tears from his withered face and told him that she too had fallen in love with him.

They both sat there and wept together. Then from their home, all of their siblings came in a storm to the beach and demanded to know where their golden apples were for morning and noon meal had come and gone and still Eskil didn't come with his basket of apples.

The group rushed the beach and saw the withered Eskil lying in Idun's lap and demanded to know what had happened Idun told them how one brother had blackmailed Eskil and had taken the tree. Standing up with new born anger, Idun glared at all of the brothers and demanded the one who had done the deed to step forward and return the stolen tree.

But Loki was long gone, up Bifrost with the golden tree for Odin. And when none of the brothers' clamed responsibility, they demanded Eskil to identify which of them had done the deed. Eskil looked down the line of brothers, but saw not the brother he had been giving apples to for the past two months and told them that. At this they grew even angrier, for all of the sons and daughters of Ask and Embla was standing there now.

Heatedly they accused their brother of giving the apples to a giant or something of the like and they all flew at him with fists that easily cracked and split the withered bones. They then flew at Idun, who they felt to blame for their elder brothers actions due to his affections. They then left their revenge extracted, leaving behind a beach so soaked with blood that it stained the ocean read once again like the days of new when Ymir's blood first filled the ocean.

Odin looked down upon this scene and wept for the child of whom he gave luck to bestow upon others. He had never thought that his gift he gave the boy would leave him with no luck for himself.

He brought all of the gods before him and told him the happenings of Midgard and the death of the child to whom they had once feasted and they all were against and many wished to punish Loki, but didn't do anything knowing that they too had told Loki to go to Midgard to get the golden tree.

Determined to do something, Odin mounted Sleipneir and followed the trail that the newly departed souls had left behind and hurried to catch up with them. He followed them down to the depths that few ever dared to go until he ended in the domain that they had condemned the monster Hel too.

Upon entering Elvidnir, Odin dismounted and approached Hel sitting on her throne looking as miserable as one could be, and looked distastefully at Odin as he walked towards her commandingly.

'I have come for the two souls that have gathered here.' He said as he looked towards the two souls that were floating behind her throne. 'What price would you place on them?'

Hel looked up at him stubbornly, 'They came to me, why should I give them up?' and at that a great fight broke out between her and Odin to which there was much yelling and spitting and cursing, at the end of which both were tired and willing for an end of the yelling. ' What are these souls doing here?' She asked looking at the floating balls of light wearily. She had only ever seen the souls of the long departed giants, which were a lot larger and darker then these were. And so Odin wearily told her of the goings on in Midgard.

'So with out the Apples the humans will wither and die as these ones did…' she spoke quietly as a plan formed in her mind, she was Loki's daughter after all, 'You may have these souls, if you in turn name me the mistress of all of the souls that leave Midgard, and if you allow me the use of your golden apples as well.' Odin didn't find that to be a too unreasonable request, now that the humans wouldn't be eating the apples there were now apples to spare once again, so he agreed to the request readily and taking the souls under each arm he mounted Sleipneir once again and rode up Bifrost to Asgard where the rest of the gods had laid out the bodies of Idun and Eskil and healed their wounds.

Odin carefully placed the souls into their rightful place and both Idun and Eskil woke with a start. Sitting up they looked around them in wonder and Eskil immediately went upon his knees before Odin and told him of the loss of the tree, not knowing that it had been him that had sent Loki to get the tree.

Odin looked at Eskil with sad eyes and with a sigh finished the plot that Loki had planned from the beginning with his words, 'As punishment for you siblings actions, their right to the golden apples is as of now denied.' Eskil bowed his head in shame, though his siblings had out right murdered him, he knew that they would die now and he would not wish that to happen to anybody, 'You are lucky that we have retrieved the golden tree and have punished the trespasser accordingly. But as punishment for your part in its theft, you are forever more banned from the land of you father, and are now to wander for the rest of your days.'

Eskil nodded his head in acceptance to the punishment and was about to rise and leave when Odin continued, 'And you Idun, your part in this whole affair was minor, but you did hold a hand in this as well.' Eskil looked to Idun who sat kneeling beside him, her head bowed and tears running down her cheeks and awaiting her punishment, 'You are to care forever more for the Golden Tree and for its fruits. When Eskil leaves here, you will never see him again.' and with that he turned and with a billow of his cloak, he left the hall leaving two stunned and brokenhearted lovers behind him.

Eskil and Idun wept in each other's arms and clung to each other as if they would never let go. But then, Eskil's grip slowly loosened and he broke apart from their embrace, eyes as solemn as a man walking to the galantine. 'As Odin has commanded, I shall obey.' And it was with their last kiss that Eskil left the hall, leaving Idun alone, crying for her lost love.

Eskil left Asgard and found himself in a strange place that he had never seen before, and he soon set out to find his home with little hope or caring, to find his lost siblings and parents. His longing for adventures and a home of his own, now replaced with an ache to look upon Idun at least one more time. Years passed and Eskil soon found the granddaughters and grandsons of his siblings settling in towns and spreading themselves wide over Midgard. But it was just out side of these towns that Eskil heard a voice call out to him from the shadows.

And upon looking he saw the 'brother' from all those years ago that had tricked him into getting the apples and the tree. The mans first instinct was to fly at the man in such a rage, but his rage boiled down as his old withered body shook with a coughing fit.

'Goodmorrow brother, it has been some time hasn't it. I am not here for much, but to tell you why it was that I needed the Golden tree.' Loki said, his newly scared lips twisted into an evil grin, 'and to tell you of your wife and son. But I do call for a price for my information.' The confused Eskil asked warily what the price was, 'nothing like before… just a bit of luck and foresight.' Loki assured the weary old man, who nodded in agreement of the terms, anything to hear of his long lost love.

Loki told him of the god's deceit and how after he left, Idon was in such a state of depression that the gods had blessed her with a child, his child, and how now both of them cared for the tree's golden apples waiting for him to one-day return.

Eskil burned with anger and began heading towards the location that he last recalled Bifrost in the east. Before Loki charged in front of him, 'now now, brother dearest,' he said mockingly, 'you have yet to pay the price for my information.'

Nervous, Eskil stumbled over the words that he had been taught to say long ago, 'May my good luck fall upon you, Loki.' And once more he attempted to leave the tricksters presence, and was once again stopped.

'Now, now, you have yet to yield me the rest of your trade.' And with a triumphant grin, the shape shifter pulled a dagger from his belt, and before Eskil could react, his left eye was now lying in Loki's bloodied hand.

Eskil collapsed in pain and clutched his face in agony. 'You have paid the price for dealing with the gods. Remember that as you travel, for your searches will remain fruitless and as Odin bid it, your wife will never look upon your face again. And you shall look until the end, for you shall never die of age or famine, thus is your curse and gift of the gods as they brought you and your beloved back from my daughters realm.'

And with that Loki was gone in the wind, one last twisted smile from his scarred lips. Eskil sat in despair, tears of blood running down his face. The only thing that had kept him going previously was his faith and devotion that he had done wrong and deserved the punishment and wrath of the gods, but now he learned that it was all a mixed up plan that he had been the martyr in.

And as Loki had said, he did rise again, and into the east he traveled, searching forever more until the end of all things, or rather the beginning as it would be…" and with that, the storyteller finished his tale. There was a dramatic pause were everyone in the hall was so silent you could hear the sound of your own breath.

The children's eyes were twice their size as they looked up at the hooded and cloaked storyteller, and then as if on cue, they all turned to each other and began giggling and talking adamantly hands waving as they stood up from their seats on the hard ground and walked from the middle of the hall to the tables lining the side where their parents sat, plates bare and filled with bones and crumbs giving evidence of the grand feast that had once been and was now at its end.

The lord stood up from his grand seat, an odd twinkle in his eye and dismissed the people of the hall, his own son chattering at his side. Everyone gathered and headed off to bed talking of the story and of the days to come.

The lord approached the teller, who was beginning to stand, leaning heavily on his walking stick. "Thank you for your generosity," the elder man wheezed, his back shaking as he coughed wearily.

"There is a bed here for you, teller, if you would wish to stay with us for another night, I'm know that my son would enjoy another story." The lord offered, his young son at his side nodding in agreement to his statements.

"Sorry, but like you I have my own family to return too…" The tellers said with an aged look in his eye as if he was remembering something that had happened long ago. The great door of he hall closed shut and a breeze blew through the hall, the wisps of hair covering his left eye fluttered up ever so slightly, the young boy, Erling, gasped lightly as he looked up at the tall man, taking in for the first time his long graying cloak, faded with age though if you looked close enough you could see the remains of beautiful designs engraved in the fabric. The strangers long and floppy hat, which had cast a shadow over his eyes when the light was bright, no longer hid quite so well the aged fellows features, which now appeared to be very old and withered, a face covered with wrinkles as well as a scar stretching from his left forehead, across his nose and down his right cheek. The eye was enclosed and indented, the eyelid wrinkled and forever closed.

His father obviously hadn't seen or realized what the boy had seen and now suspected as to the identity of the hidden stranger, and continued to talk as he walked the elder man to the wall. "If you find yourself coming back this way, you will be welcome in these halls." The elder man nodded his thanks and walked out into the evening air, his steps slow and strong as he walked along the worn path, heading east.

There was a quick patter of footsteps running from behind him and he stopped abruptly to see Erling standing breathing quickly from his sudden sprint, "Your him, aren't you… Your…" He asked in a demanding voice that shook with uncertainty.

"You figured me out have you…" The teller paused for a moment and kneeled before the child. "What would you have of me, Erling son of Erl?" he asked smiling jokingly. The boy faltered as if he had just been given a beautiful gift and was unsure of what to do with it.

Smiling in understanding, he leaned forward and whispered in the boy's ear something so soft that Erling could hardly hear what he said. "Good luck Erling son of Erl." Simple words that would later be used by many people over the years. However, when spoken by this man, the radiated of power as if magic was in his very voice. Erling's shoulders went slack with disbelief and froze in shock. The teller moved to the side and continued walking never looking back.

Erling didn't moved, even when his father walked up to him to question his actions. He hardly blinked as the darkness surrounded him and you could no longer see the man walking along the long straight road.

When at last the boy blinked and shook himself out of his shock, he shook his head and slowly turn to the sun setting behind the hall where he lived and would one-day rule and walked up the hill to his questioning father and worried mother, to his family.

Erling would later build a kingdom that would be called Eskilonten that was called the Asgard of Midgard where the people prospered and were ever the decedents of Erling went, they were blessed and it would later be said that the gods had blessed the line personaly, some even said that they were gods themselves.

For many years only the line of Erling would know the truth, and why they were given their luck until one of their line decided to turn the story into a book, or a story tale myth so to speak. What myth would that be? The one that you have just finished reading.


End file.
